Box and corner construction therefor



April 29, 1941. A. ELMENDORF BOX AND CORNER CONSTRUCTION THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1938 April 29, 1941. A. ELMENDORF BOX AND CORNER CONSTRUCTION THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1.938

5 J Z rf powerful hinges.

Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOX AND coma CONSTRUCTION 'rnenaroa Armin Elmendorf, Winnetka, Ill. Application December 5, 1938, Serial No. 243,966

2 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to produce a light, strong and durable box particularly adapted for use as a shipping container for heavy articles or goods which cause their containers to be subjected to such severe stresses during rough handling that the usual containers quickly break down.

While many containers have ends and sides that are sufliciently strong, it is a different matter so far as the corners of boxes are concerned, and failures usually start there. This has heretofore been remedied to some extent by making boxes wire-bound or by reenforcing the corners with sturdy cleats, requiring eight cleats for the four corners between the sides of a square of rectangular box.

One of the objects of the present invention is to produce a corner construction that will be simple and inexpensive and which shall possess such strength that no binding wire or cleats for the corners between side walls are needed.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel box construction which permits an entire box to be shipped in the form of a few fiat pieces of which two constitute the ends, while a third may form the sides or what may be termed the body of the box.

In order that a box shall possess very strong corners between the side walls thereof and yet be capable of having the side wall structure lie flat for storage and shipping purposes, it is necessary that the corners be hinged together with Therefore, viewed in one of its aspects, the present invention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple, novel and inexpensive hinge device for permitting adjacent panels connected thereby to be laid flat or to be brought into relative positions where they stand at right angles or to any other desired, predetermined angle to each other; which shall be strong and sturdy; and which shall serve as aneifective corner post at the juncture of any two panels or the like joined together by the same.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a section taken at right angles to one of the corners through two meeting side walls, showing them flattened so as to lie in the same plane; Fig. 3 is a view similar construction in which the side walls are separate pieces; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the to Fig. 2, illustrating a an elevational view composed of thesides, in a Fig. 5 is a section on an enlarged scale similar to Fig. 2 but showing the corner-forming hinge; Fig. 6 is a cross section through the body portion of the box in a. plane at right angles to the corners between the sides, illustrating the folding of the body-forming panel being only partially completed; Fig. '7 is a view similar to and on the same plane and scale as Fig. 5, showing the manner in which the open corner in Fig. 6 may be completed; Figs. 8 and 9 are views similar to Fig. 7, illustrating two different modifications of the corner shown in Fig. '7; Fig. 10 is a section on line Ill-40 of Fig. l, but on a larger scale; Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, showing a slight modification; Fig. 12 is a vertical section through a fragment of one end of the body member of the box and a cover or end wall separated therefrom; Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12, showing the cover or end wall secured to the body of the box; Fig. 14 is of a box body in a flattened condition, the cleats for engagement with the end walls being fastened to the composite body panel at the time of manufacturing the latter; Fig. 15 is an edge view of the structure shown in Fig. 14; Fig. 16 is a view on an enlarged scale, similar to Fig. 12, showing only a small frag ment; and Fig. 1'7 is a section taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 16, showing the parts shifted into relative corner-forming positions In the construction of my improved boxes. I use thin boards I, preferably wood boards, faced on one or both sides with tough paper, as indicated at 2 and 3. For the body of a box, meaning thereby the sides which, together with the ends, complete a box, I employ this paper faced material in pieces each of a proper size and shape to form one side, and having the edges that are to form the side corners bevelled. Thus, in the ordinary square box, the sides are composed of four panels whose edges are bevelled at an angle ofabout forty-five degrees so that the bevelled faces between meeting panels contact with each other when the panels are set up in box form. These panels may be formed as individual pieces, such as A and B in Fig. 3, or enough panels to form all of the sides may be in one piece, as shown in Fig. 4. When the side panels are all to be in one piece, this end may readily be achieved by preparing one long or wide panel and then cutting V grooves 4 across one dimension thereof in parallel relation to each other; the bottoms of the grooves terminating at the facing layer 2 which thus remains continuous from end to end. For a four-sided box, the angle of these .V grooves is ninety degrees, so that when adjacent panels or sections are swung untilthe surfaces bounding the grooves between them are brought in contact with each other, these panels body of the box, flattened condition;

or sections stand at right angles to each other. The continuous paper sheathing" or facing forms a hinge between the side sections 01' the box, but is entirely too weak to give to the box the necessary corner strength. In accordance with my invention, I make use or a novel form of hinge of which the paper facing on the box material forms a part when it iscontinuous. While .this hinge may be made from other flexible sheet materials, thick paper may be used to advantage, not only on account of the lowcost thereof, but also because of its strength and durability. Reduced to its simplest form, the hinge consists simply of a plurality of long paper ribbons lying one upon the other and bonded together in such a manner that when it is folded on a longitudinal center line until the two halves stand at right angles to each other, the ribbons lie in close contact with each other throughout their entire widths; whereas, when the assembly is flattened, the sheet that formed the innerside of the angle in the folded device lies fiat while each overlying sheet produces within itself a ridge extending along said central line; each ridge being higher than the one immediately below the same, because. each sheet outwardly from the innermost one must supply a progressively increasing width of material to compensate for the longer radius which it has in turning the corner when the .two panels are standing at right angles to each other. The ribbons for the hinge therefore cannot be bonded together while in contact with each other throughout their widths in a. fiat condition, after the assembly has been given a trough-like form or after shaping each ribbon to have required central ridge at the, time of doing the bonding while the ribbons are lying fiat. By laying the ribbons over a form having faces sloping away from each other at the desired angle, the bonding may be eifected without any further manipulation of the ribbons than to fold them along their longitudinal central lines., Then, if the adhesive or bonding material is omitted from narrow central areas or strips extending throughout the lengths of the ribbons, corresponding to the width of the ridge portions to, be'subsequently created, the central portions of the ribbons will remain unbonded, and will adjust themselves automatically into V-shaped ridges of progressively increasing height, when the assembly is flattened after the bonding is'completed. When using sufiiciently thick paper, it v is not necessary to omit the adhesive material along the central areas or strips of the ribbons because, if the bonding be continuous, theassembly becomes delaminated through shearing of the paper parallel to the faces of the individual layers along the hinge joint, upon flattening the assembly. The thickness of the paper may vary within comparatively wide limits, but I have found that paper having a thickness of from .016" to .030" makes good hinges.

In the particular arrangement illustrated, the hinges comprise five layers, although the number of layers may be varied. The inner layer is the facing sheet 2 which is left intact in cutting the V grooves. When two adjacent side members or panels are laid flat, as in Fig. 5, the facing sheet 2 also lies fiat so that, at this time, the first or inner layer of the hinge, which is a part of this sheet, is fiat and unridg'ed. The

next layer 5 may be a strip or ribbon from three to six inches wide which, in the ,flattened 'condition of the panel, ha a very shallow V-shaped but .they must either be bonded the ridge 6 at the hinge axis. The third layer 1 is a strip or ribbon somewhat narrower than the strip I and has a higher ridge 8 overlying the ridge 8 in the flattened condition of the body member of the box. Similarly, the fourth and fifth layers are ribbons or strips 8 and H narrower than the preceding one, and each having a higher ridge than that in the preceding ribbon or strip, as indicated at II and II. There is sufiioient material in the ridges so that, notwithstanding that when two panels are shifted into positions at right angles to each other, the several layers are in intimate contact with each other in the vicinity of the hinge Joint, the walls of each ridge are out of engagementwith the walls of the adjacent ridge or ridges when the body member is flattened.

All of the corners between the side walls of the box are completed in the manufacturing of the body member, so that the latter need onlybe properly folded and the free ends joined together in making-the final assembly of the box. As shown in Figs. 1 to 7, where the box has four side corners, three of the corners are completed in the manufacture of the body member, whereas one-half or leaf of a fourth hinge C is bonded to the marginal portion along one free bevelled edge it so that the other half or leaf projects beyond the same. Then, when the body member is folded into .the form 01' a square shell, one or the other of the endmost panels or sections is the one that is last swung into place, and the projecting hinge leaf is simply swung down to overlap the marginal portion of the body member at the opposite end from that at which one-half of the hinge C projects. Thus, in Fig. 6, three of the sides of the boxes are shown in their final positions, as sides of a box, while the fourth has been swimg almost into; its. final position. In Fig. '7, on the other hand, the corner which is still open in Fig. 6 is shown closed and the hinge at that corner is shown as being bonded to both of the meeting panels or sections.

If desired, the corner which remains to be completed after the final folding of the body member of the box may be formed differently than by having a mitre Joint between the meeting ,wall sections. Thus, in Fig. 8, the corner to be closed is between the walls l5 and I1; the wall IQ being made wide enough so that it pro- Jects beyond the plane of the wall ll. This permits a cleat II to be applied to the outer side i I! at the corner. The hinge C is inimember I! as in the first form described, and is afterwards folded over andbonded to the debt.

In Fig. 9 the arrangement is the same as that in Fig. .8, except that a marginal portion along the inner side of the wall II, at the free edge, is cut away to form a step or shoulder is against which a marginal portion of the wall I! may bear when the. corner is completed. Also, the cleat is nailed to the wall II to complete the joint; the marginal portion of the wall II being reeni'orced by a strip ii of tough paper.

ends" of the box may be panels formed from the same material as the body member of the box, each end being a single rigid panel faced on one or both sides. In some instances. it may be sufiicient to fasten the ends to the body memoi the wall ber by hinge-like corner pieces such as employed at the side' corners. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 7, there are cleats 2| forming frames each ofgwhi'ch overlies the marginal portions of one of the end walls and is set into the body of instead of making mitre joints with the box. in any suitable or desired way. In the arrangement shown, as best seen in Figs. and 11, each cleat is secured to the corresponding end wall or panel with nails 22, for example. After the body of the box has been set up, the ends are inserted into the open ends of the shell thus produced, and may be secured in place by means of suitable fastenings, such as nails 24, driven through the sides of the box into the cleats.

If desired, an extra reenforcement in the shape of an additional ribbon-like layer or layers of paper 25 may be bonded to the outer faces of the panels forming the body member along the edges that are at the ends of the box; the nails 24 being driven through this additional reenforchis material.

In Figs. 12 and 13 there is illustrated a manner of securing an end wall to the box, without employing cleats, but achieving the fastening of the end in place and the reenforcement of the corners between the same and the sides of the box by means of hinge-like corner pieces similar to .those heretofore described. In these figures. it and 21 represent two meeting side walls or panels, and 28 is an end wall or panel. wall or panel is preferably cut away on the under "side along all four edges for a width equal to the thickness of the body material, whereby there is formed a lip 29 which rests against the edge faces of the sides of the box while the central portion of the end wall extends into the body of the box; thereby interlocking the end wall and the body of the box so that the sides of the box hold the end against displacement in the plane of the latter. Four hinge-like corner pieces II overlie the marginal portions of the box end, one adjacent to each edge; members 30 lying at the upper or outer corner of the edge at which the corner member is located. Thus, considering each member as a hinge, one leaf thereof overlies and is fastened to the box end and the For storage and members may be flattened. when the members of a box are to be assembled, the end member is simply set down partially on and partially in the box body. as in Fig. of the corner pieces are bent to the box sides.

If desired, the cleats, where such are employed,

These cleats may be secured in place I 5 3i, one extending lo i'oned into tongues ilof the signed for the adapted to form the sides of a box and may, in fact, be the same as the box body member illustrated in Fig. 4. 0n the grooved side of the composite panel are arranged two sets of cleats along one long edge of the body member and the other in the vicinity of the opposite long edge. As shown in Fig. 16, each of the cleats has one or more grooves 32 cut into 1 one end edge face, and has its opposite end fash- 33 which are adapted to fit -:into the grooves in the end of another cleat. The icleats in each row are so disposed that the grooved .end of one lies on one side of a V groove 6 on the opposite side of which is located the tongue end next cleat. Consequently, when the body "member is folded into a box form, each cleat interlocks at both ends with two other cleats. Boxes measuring from twenty to thirty inches .iin height, width and length may, for example, be formed from double-faced panels in which the inner or core members are of wood not much more one-eighth of an inch thick faced with thick 'tj krflt paper, and be sufllciently strong and durable to outlast much heavier and more expensive heretofore employed in commerce and detransportation of heavy goods, as for example, nails, small metal castings in bulk, "or textiles in bolts. Ordinary glues may be em- "'ployed in securing the facings to the cores and 6 between the layers of the hinges; although it may having a rubber or the hinge axis of each of the characteristics;

other projects beyond the same. transportation, these corner en the same, but they also permit sometimes be advisable to employ an adhesive rubber latex base for bonding "the glue joints that must be formed in the final processes-of setting up and sealing the boxes.

The facings not only reenforce the core member of the box material, so as greatly to strengththe use of wood -;which would not otherwise be suitable because of the presence of knots or other objectionable thereby keeping the cost of the boxes reasonably low. However, considering the invention in some of its aspects, the box walls may be composed of uni'aced panels of other materials, as for example, plywood, or stiff fiber board.

I claim; 1. A comer-forming member comprising three or more sheets of thick paper overlying each 13, and the projecting halves down and bonded the other side and the sheets being symmetrically may be fastened to the panels or sections of the body member,

stead of to the ends. In Fig. 1, the cleats are "illustrated as making mitre joints with each box sides, and in Figs. 6, 10 and not initially attached to the other. as do the 11, the cleats are box sides, but are box ends.

In Figs. 14 to 1'1, there is illustrated a box body construction in which the cleats for the ends of the box are fastened to the body member at the latter. 'Ihese cleats.

time of manufacturing the each other.

being cut of! square and meeting tongues and grooves. Obviously, either type of joint may be employed, the cleats are initially bar or by the box ends.

to 1'! of the drawings. D.

Referring to Fi s. 14 E, F and G represent four connected panels that constitute the box sides, in-

intended to be carried by the other, each sheet being wider than the sheet on one side thereof and narrower than the sheet on disposed with respect to a central longitudinal line, the sheets engaging each other throughout their lengths and widths when said member is .bent along said longitudinal line to bring the two halves thereof at a predetermined angle to each other. and said sheets being bonded together except for a longitudinal strip extending across the same at the center.

2. Acorner-i'orming member comprising a plurality of sheets of flexible material lying one upon the other, the sheets being so arranged that, when the assembly lies flat, registering strips extending across said sheets from one edge to another bulge in the form of inverted V-trougbs all symmetrically disposed with respect to a plane at right angles regardless of whether carried by the body memto the plane of said member, the angles of the troughs decreasing pr ssively from the bottom of the assembly to the top, and the engaging faces of the flat-lying portions of the sheets being bonded together.

ARMIN RF. 

